Playing Hooky
by Azecreth
Summary: Kyoko abducts Madoka from school to spend a day on the town. Madoka doesn't approve, at first.


**A/N: More NaNoWriMo inspired writing, I think this must be the most shamelessly fluffy piece of fanfiction I've written to date. So huzzah for that, and I hope you enjoy.**

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><p>"Aaah, Kyoko, please let go!"<p>

A cry split the air, drawing the attention of the scant few people nearby to the scene that was currently transpiring in front of Mitakihara Middle School. It was mid morning, a time when students should have been in classes and learning, but that was definitely where Madoka Kaname was not.

Instead, she was standing near the school gates, being dragged down the sidewalk by one Kyoko Sakura in spite of her resistance. She'd come here when Sayaka had told her that the redhead had wanted to speak to her, but this was not what she had been expecting, as Kyoko pulled her from the building.

"I-I have to get to class," she pleaded, pulling near frantically on the arm Kyoko currently had in an iron grip.

Leading the way in a power walk, Kyoko looked back over her shoulder at the panicked pinkette, shooting her a fanged grin. "Would you quit whining Pinkie," she replied, "I'm doing you a favor! It's the last good day of the summer, and I'm sure you'd rather spend it doing something fun rather than listening to all that crazy yelling about your teachers love life."

"I guess," Madoka agreed reluctantly, looking over to the school as she saw her future slip away the further they moved from the building. She could imagine the black mark on her previously spotless record, and the disapproval of her parents. "But...but, I have assignments! And responsibilities!"

"Ah, I'm sure they can manage without you for a day," Kyoko said nonchalantly, still walking along. "What's more important, all that boring stuff, or spending some time with your friend?"

Madoka whimpered a bit in defeat, a last, longing look given over to the school, hoping beyond hope that someone, perhaps Homura, would notice what was going on and come to save her. But Kyoko was fairly certain that she'd gotten away with this scot free. Sayaka was effectively trapped in class, and she'd realized that Homura would leave her alone as long as nothing mentally traumatizing happened, and since she liked living, she was confident nothing would.

But in the end the choice was nonexistent, and Madoka stopped resisting as it became obvious that Kyoko wouldn't be letting her go and the school slipped out of sight, resigned to her fate for the day. "Why me," she asked as she followed behind the redhead.

Kyoko led them along city streets, no indication given that she had a destination in mind, and she shrugged. "Mami'd try to get me in school, Akemi's no fun, and Blue can get annoying. Besides, we hardly ever hang out with just the two of us," she answered.

"Oh." Madoka would admit that it made sense, and at a base level she didn't mind either, not really. She just wished Kyoko would have waited until the weekend to do something like this. She would hardly have denied her if she had asked. Still, it was a beautiful day, sun bright in the sky with nary a cloud to be seen, and a slight breeze slipping past to keep it from getting too hot.

Guessing what Madoka would have said had she asked, Kyoko led them along to a destination of her choice off the bat. And what that was was soon revealed as they emerged from cityscape to stand along the banks of one of the rivers running through the city.

She let go of Madoka's arm then as they walked down the riverside path, assuming that they were at a point where she wouldn't try to flee back to school. And she was right, as Madoka moved to walk beside her, since she did indeed see it as pointless, and wanted to have a good time as well now that they were doing it.

Rushing water glittering beside them, Kyoko reached into one of the pockets of her jean shorts and pulled out a box of Pocky. She removed a stick and stuck it in her mouth, before offering the box to Madoka in turn. "Here. Want some?"

"No thank you," Madoka replied politely with a shake of her head. Kyoko shrugged indifferently and put the box back in her pocket as they neared a riverside park, her intended destination. Ironically something of a place for couples, there was playground equipment, a small beach, some booths for refreshments, a skate park, and some games set up. All very fun.

She looked over to the pinkette as they drew near, and Madoka seemed interested in whatever Kyoko had planned, which was good. At least she wouldn't have to worry about endless arguments. "So, got anything in particular you wanna try," she asked, giving Madoka first options since she had been the one to drag her here.

Madoka frowned in thought, considering the variety of options that they could do now that they were here. There had to be something fun after all, she just had to select it. But for the moment her mind came up blank. "Sorry, I can't think of anything," she replied, deciding that perhaps she was still too shaken from being ripped away by Kyoko's irresistible force.

Kyoko mentally shrugged, that answer not all the unexpected, given whom she had posed the question to. She'd just have to think up something herself, and she looked about to do just that. "Alright, how about some hacky sack," she suggested, pointing to the set up of that particular game.

Madoka followed to where she was pointing, a slight frown presenting itself due to nervousness about playing, but in the end she nodded in agreement. "Sure," she replied, submerging her belief in her inability to play with her desire to see Kyoko enjoying herself. As long as her friends were happy, that was what mattered.

So she let Kyoko lead her over to the two boards, retrieving bags from beneath them, and handing all those of a single color over to Madoka while she held on to the other. "So, you know how to play," Kyoko asked, just in case the pinkette didn't.

"I think so," Madoka replied. "We try to get these bean bags in the hole or on the board, right?"

"Yeah." That said, Kyoko moved over to one of the boards, letting Madoka go to the other side. "Alright, I'm gonna go first," she called before tossing her first bag with a lofty underhand throw that overshot the target by a veritable mile. She wasn't dismayed though. There was plenty of time to build up a lead.

'Here I go," Madoka called before she tossed her first bean bag, getting the distance right, but misjudging her aim, and it flew off to the side opposite where Kyoko stood. A small laugh escaped, at least grateful that neither of them were apparently perfect at this game.

The two of them went at it then, Kyoko scoring first while Madoka rapidly caught up. In actuality, as they went back and forth, Kyoko enjoyed it, since she could treat it as a casual game rather than some kind of competition like it would have ended up with Sayaka. Not that Kyoko didn't usually mind the challenge, but she could use a break once in a while.

Tossing a lofty throw that slid to a stop on the edge of the board, Kyoko poke across the space between them to Madoka. "So, how're things?"

"Fine," Madoka replied simply as she did a return throw, the bean bag coming to a stop at the base of the board, but still on the ground and thus zero points. "I can't think of anything bad that's happened recently."

Kyoko had expected as much, and she spoke again as she throw the last of her bean bags. "Alright. You and Homura going out yet, or is she still being a creepy stalker?"

Madoka blushed lightly, nervousness suddenly aflame in a way that Kyoko couldn't help but provoke. She couldn't help it if Madoka just looked so cute when she got flustered. She could see why Homura was interested. "W-We're not like that," Madoka stammered.

"Sure you aren't," Kyoko replied with a fanged smirk as she retrieved her bean bags for the next round. Honestly, she shouldn't care, but to see that there was no relationship there was irrationally pleasing to her.

Madoka went first in the new round, asking her own question in turn."What about you and Sayaka?"

Surprised, Kyoko frowned as she looked across to Madoka, face decidedly neutral in expression. "What about me and Sayaka?"

Taken aback by how apparent oblivious Kyoko was, Madoka explained. "You two must feel something for each other. Even Mami can tell." This was punctuated by a small leap as she sank a bag into the hole, joined with a cry of success.

Kyoko scoffed at the very suggestion. "Oh come on," she huffed quickly. "Mami's a hopeless romantic. Sure, I can respect Sayaka, but I sure wouldn't wanna be in some kind of relationship with her. I like my sanity, thank you very much."

"Oh." Madoka could see her point, though she always preferred to think on the bright side, as an optimist.

They ended up playing two games, Kyoko winning one and Madoka the other. It left them both satisfied as they moved on from that to other activities in the park. Still there, they spent a bit of time feeding the birds and then doing a bit of walking before they wound up at the river.

"Alright Pinkie, watch this," Kyoko told her as she hefted a smooth pebble in her fist. She glanced over to determine that Madoka was doing so before she sent the rock whizzing across the water.

It skipped five times before splashing into the crystal water. Madoka watched this and then clapped appreciatively, nodding her head as Kyoko looked back over to her. "Wow, that was great," she told her, giving Kyoko's ego a suitable boost in the process.

"You gonna give it a go," Kyoko asked, gesturing to the stones at their feet before doing again what she had done before, though this time she'd only hit four bounces.

"Oh, sure," Madoka replied, joining Kyoko in rock skipping. As she might have guessed, she wasn't that good at it, her rocks making a lot of splashes but not skipping. That didn't stop her from trying though.

"It's all in the wrist, y'know," Kyoko explained eventually, providing a slightly exaggerated demonstration to that effect. "Just gotta snap it."

"Right," Madoka agreed, expressing all the determination she could muster. She would do this. And she followed through on that as she tossed another rock, trying to mimick what Kyoko had done. But once again it came to naught, and her shoulder slumped. "Sorry," she apologized. "I guess I'm just not good at this."

Kyoko frowned, before she got a grin, and shook her head. "Nah, don't worry. Here, lemme help." Before Madoka could protest or do anything, she stepped over and stood behind the pinkette, a hand coming to rest on her side, whilst the other took a hold of Madoka's wrist, manipulating her fingers as she wished.

"K-Kyoko," Madoka stuttered, unnerved by how surprisingly close the other girl was. Her face flushed red, skin tingling at the contact through her school uniform. She could smell the scent falling over her, cinnamon and something else she couldn't quite find the words for. And yet she made no effort to resist.

For her part, Kyoko was finding it hard to be distracted as well, but she managed somehow, as she positioned another pebble in Madoka's hand. "Like this," she explained, speaking into the ear of the girl in front of her. "Then you pull back, and throw like that." She repeated the motion, moving the arm she held before she stepped back, however reluctantly.

"O-Okay." Fluster diminishing with the increased distance between them, Madoka settled down and resolutely addressed what had just been demonstrated for her. She wound up, then tossed the rock, this time managing to skip it three times. Not at Kyoko's level just yet, but she was proud to have just done it.

"There yah go," Kyoko said in congratulation, and she patted Madoka on the shoulder. The two did that for a bit then, trading off efforts while conversing about innocuous things and trying to forget what had just happened, their daily life and other such fun stuff. Neither really wanted to think about what had just happened.

But the fun was soon interrupted by the grumble of a stomach, surprisingly not Kyoko's, but rather Madoka's instead. They both paused, the pinkette glancing downwards in embarrassment. Indeed, she hadn't noticed how late it had gotten, the sun high in the sky.

Kyoko laughed aloud, a sharp chuckle that sliced through the air, and she wrapped an arm around the pinkette as she pulled her friend close. "Lunch time, eh? C'mon, I know a good spot or two for us to try."

"Alright," Madoka replied with an approving nod, putting her fate back into Kyoko's hands once more. She'd taken a few steps before she started in realization. "Oh. I...don't have any money," she said sadly. She didn't even have the lunch her father had prepared for her, since it was currently sitting in her school locker, far away from her.

"Don't worry," Kyoko reassured her as they departed the park. "I borrowed some money from Mami before heading out, so we're all covered."

Madoka was subdued, and she moved along in understanding, though she felt bad for having to be a burden on Kyoko of all people. Sayaka would have had a laugh if she were here, the moocher providing someone in need, rather than mooching herself.

They eventually arrived at the selected venue, a small cafe that wasn't too expensive, but that the redhead assured Madoka still tasted good. A small bell rang as the pair stepped in and led to a small booth, the two sitting across from each other in the warm atmosphere of the area.

"Order whatever you want," she said as she looked at the menu. "Least I can do for abducting you, no?"

"Okay," Madoka replied as she looked to the menu before her. In spite of her friends assurances, she still found her gaze immediately wandering to the cheapest items on the menu. She had to assume that the redhead hadn't gotten that much money from Mami, so she didn't want to be an unnecessary weight.

When the waitress arrived, Kyoko ordered first, some spaghetti and meatballs with a salad and soda, while Madoka ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and milk. The menus were taken from them once they had finished, and the two were left to themselves, Kyoko slumping in a relaxed posture while Madoka sat politely.

Silence reigned between the two for a few minutes or so before it was interrupted by a buzzing sound. Neither of them reacted for a few moments, just to be sure, before Madoka went for her pocket and pulled out her pink cell phone, screen lit up to indicate that she had a new message.

"Who is it," the redhead asked nonchalantly, sustaining her patience through snacking on randomly produced food while she looked curiously off the table. Her appetite would be fine though, and she was more interested in what was going on, since she didn't have a cell phone of her own.

Madoka flipped the phone open, scrolling through the message. "Sayaka," she replied. Simply as she read what had been sent to her. It wasn't that long, though she had to translate a bit of Sayaka's text speak in the process. Essentially the blunette wanted to know where she was, blamed Kyoko for this, and vowed to rescue her if she was in danger, as well as punish the redhead later. It brought a smile to her face at the expressed friendship, as well as a sigh with the assumptions presented in the message as well.

"Oh. What does she want," Kyoko asked, having a guess that ironically wasn't too far from the truth, though she considered the possibility that she was horribly wrong there.

Madoka rapidly typed out a response and sent it off before she responded to the girl sitting across from her. "She wanted to know if we were going to hang out later."

Ah, that explained it. Kyoko's gaze fixed on Madoka as she gave her a smirk. "I hope yah told her no. You're mine, for the entire day, got it?"

Slightly intimidated by the apparent possessiveness involved, Madoka also found that a bit creepy at the same time, though it was hardly possessiveness to the level that Homura could reach. She cared for the brunette, she really did, but she didn't really feel the attraction that seemed to be directed at her by the other girl.

"A-Alright," she replied, her nervousness expressing itself in her speech. "What else were you planning on doing?"

"Dunno," Kyoko shrugged. "Don't always need a plan, you know. Just walk around and see what happens, Or something like that."

Madoka accepted that without complaint, since she certainly knew the fun that could come with that kind of wanderlust. Sometimes it was fun to not have a plan, and you could find a lot of interesting things by simply moving without a destination in mind. And if such a thing was what they were to do, then she would certainly choose Kyoko for such a thing, though Sayaka would be a close second.

Their conversation ended as their food arrived, delicious looking meals placed before them to eat, and Kyoko pulled out the cutlery as she looked hungrily at her food. Madoka turned to her own meal as well, and they both gave thanks before digging into their lunch.

As she ate, Madoka would give Kyoko credit where it was due. The food here was indeed very good. The chicken was warm but not burned, and was still juicy on the inside, which meshed well with the lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise, and delighted moans of happiness escaped closed lips as she quickly demolished the sandwich. Still, it was no match for Papa's cooking, but then again that was hard to match as it was, so she would be fair.

As for the redhead, she was enjoying her food as well, though Madoka had hardly seen a time when she didn't enjoy what she was eating. Chewing and slurping sounded from across the table as meatballs were stabbed and devoured, and noodles were sucked in at an almost prodigious rate, though they were soon joined by the crunch of lettuce as she shifted between her main dish and her salad.

Madoka soon finished, and settled back to wait patiently for Kyoko, who only took longer by virtue of having more to eat than she did. And even then it didn't take long after for the girl with an apparently bottomless stomach to finish, in spite of the fact that Madoka had been the one who was really hungry, and not her.

"So, what'd I tell yah," Kyoko said across the table with a grin as their plates were removed. "Was that good or what?" Not waiting for an answer, she dug through her pocket to produce some cash sans a wallet, which she placed on the table, both to cover the cost of the food, and as a tip. It was something she had to remember to do, since she was so used to dining and dashing.

"Yes, it was," Madoka agreed with a slight bow of her head. "Thank you."

Kyoko smirked, waving off her thanks. "No problem." Together they rose and made their way out of the cafe, the pinkette giving thanks to the staff on the way out as a matter of habit.

"Now then, let's go to the arcade," Kyoko announced as they departed the building, grabbing Madoka's arm to pull her along towards the particular arcade that she happened to frequent. It was simple reasoning really, since there was a large amount of games, and she had some credit built up that would save her some money.

Resigning herself to not actually wandering aimlessly, Madoka moved up to walk beside the redhead, who was fortunately more power walking than running. Still, Madoka didn't try to take her arm back though as she looked over at her friend.

It was hard not to dwell, to consider her friendship with Kyoko. She was self centered, a realist, rough, even a bit of a rogue, but with a good heart beneath. She was dependable in the end, but there was something alluring about how casually she could break the rules and enjoy herself in a way that Madoka was afraid to, and she couldn't help but look up to the headstrong girl.

Kyoko was definitely not thinking about that though as they arrived at the arcade, and she marched up to the front desk with her friend in tow. "Hey," she said to the guy working there. "I'll have some tokens for me and Pinkie here."

While Madoka blushed about the use of her nickname, the man stopped what he was doing to look over the two. Apparently Kyoko really did come here a lot, as he didn't ask for an ID, but just reached into a drawer and pulled out some rolls of tokens. "There you go. Have fun," he told them as he passed the requested items across.

"Thanks," Kyoko replied succinctly as she took the tokens and led Madoka into the arcade. There was a cacophony of lights and sounds from the machines that whirred in vibrant life. The place was pretty much abandoned at this point, since school was in session, but everything was still turned on at this point.

'Hmmm..." Looking about in thought, Kyoko led them towards the DDR machine. Madoka stood beside it as the redhead got on the dance pad and put in some tokens. She quickly selected a song and prepared to get on with the dance.

The song began and she launched into quick movement, leaning forward with arms swinging as her feet flashed between arrow buttons. She was flawless, and this song was pretty hard to boot. Teeth grit, she otherwise showed no sign that she was having any difficulty in her movement.

Madoka found herself verging on entranced as she watched Kyoko dance, the effortless movement, how her ponytail bobbed with her actions. It was a silly thing, she would admit, and she looked away with a blush as she realized what she was doing, hoping that her friend hadn't noticed.

Soon the song came to an end and Kyoko finished with a flourish, revealing that she had once more made it onto the high score list (She was on it several times). She put in her initials before getting off, a small hop bringing her to stand beside the pinkette.

"So, you gonna give it a go," she asked, pointing to the waiting machine.

"Sure," Madoka answered as she mounted the dance pad. She was nervous, but she would give it her best shot. She picked a song that was easier than the one the previous player had picked, and then prepared while looking over to Kyoko, who waited expectantly.

The song she had chosen began, and she began to dance in turn. She did well at first, but when the longer, faster segments came she started to fall behind. A panicked expression manifested itself from a happy smile as her feet sped about frantically while she tried to keep from tripping over her own legs at the same time.

Kyoko watched the display with a slight tug at her heart. It was hard to not be affected, seeing Madoka try her hardest in spite of the odds against her. That wellspring of optimism and courage was captivating for her, that belief that everything would come out alright, and the will of purpose to keep going even when things got tough.

At last the song came to an end, and Madoka sighed in relief as her score flashed up on the monitor, revealing herself to be nowhere near the top. Her shoulder sagged in exhaustion, but she was still glad that she had finished the song at all.

Kyoko moved up beside her and patted her on the shoulder. "Not bad," she complimented as she got on the other dance pad. "Wanna do some co-op?" She wasn't going to suggest a battle, since she could guess how that would end, no offense to the pinkette.

"I don't mind," Madoka replied, marshaling her will as she prepared to dance once again. The two glanced at each other before facing the screen as Kyoko set their match up.

They went through a few songs at that point, red and pink moving in tandem to the instructions on the screen. Even if they weren't perfect, they still had fun as they played. From that they moved on to other games. Shooters, some racing games, and even more games that were available. All the while they built up a hefty sum of tickets as the afternoon wore on.

At last Kyoko prepared to leave, satisfied with how things had gone on as the two of them walked back through the rows of arcade machines. "Geez Madoka, I didn't expect you to be so good at those shooting games. How'd you do it?"

Madoka shrugged as she looked over at her friend. "I don't know," she admitted sheepishly. "What about you in those fighting games though?" As it turned out, Kyoko destroyed in those types of games, if only because Madoka was too nice of a person.

"Ah, I've got a lot of experience," Kyoko said somewhat boastfully. She couldn't help it if she was an expert button masher.

She considered it a good day then, since they had enjoyed themselves thus far. But as they moved for the door, she stopped, paused in thought, and then altered her direction.

Instead, she moved for the prize counter, several rows of items lined up in ascending fashion while Madoka followed her. Coming to a halt at the counter, she looked over her options before pointing at one. "I'll have the cat," she said authoritatively.

The man reached up and grabbed the large black cat from where it sat and placed it on the counter at her request. Kyoko pulled a wad of tickets from her pocket and handed it over before taking the prize she'd earned. To be honest, she'd been saving those tickets ostensibly for a rainy day, but this was as good a time to spend it as any, really.

Stuffed animal prize in hand, Kyoko led them out of the arcade and a bit away before she stopped once more and faced her companion. "Here," she told her, holding out what she had won. "I don't need this stuff."

Madoka's face lit up in surprised happiness at the gesture, and she bowed as she took the gift. "Thank you Kyoko," she replied as she hugged it close. She really did like cats, and stuffed animals, so a combination of the two was a winning combination. But then she remembered something, and her expression fell. "I'm sorry. I don't have anything to give you."

Buoyed by the raw happiness on her friends face, Kyoko was dismissive of that problem. "Nah, don't worry about it. Consider it a repayment for stealing food and money from you all the time." Yeah, that was it. It definitely hadn't been a random, spur of the moment decision. She wasn't that kind of person, was she?

"Oh, alright." While she agreed, Kyoko had the feeling that Madoka was still a bit discontent, so she'd have to be on the watch for some action as a result of that. As it was though, she let the matter drop and checked what the time was. "So, got anything you wanna do yet?"

Madoka turned to the renewed thought once more, and at last she came up with an activity for the two of them. "Well, there is a movie I wanted to see," she admitted.

A movie? That didn't sound so bad. "Okay, we can do that," Kyoko agreed, and they began to walk to a nearby theater as per the suggestion.

It turned out that the movie she wanted to see was one of the ones recently released, an action comedy that had been getting good reviews thus far. Not quite Kyoko's style in media, since she tended to go more for pure action or even horror, but she ceded on that desire because there wasn't anything she wanted to see at the moment, and because Madoka had requested it.

A few minutes later and she had procured them two tickets for the next showing in a few minutes and a bucket of popcorn to go with the snacks she usually carried with her. They proceeded together into the theater, taking up seats near the front, but not too close. They had relative freedom in that regard, the theater empty except for a few other people.

Tub of popcorn resting on her lap, Kyoko leaned back in her seat as she watched Madoka sit down beside her, practically brimming with nervous anticipation. It was cute to see how eager she was for this. "So, this gonna be any good," she asked casually.

Madoka tilted her head in thought, glancing to the ceiling with a finger to her chin. "It will," she replied at last, full of assurance. "Hitomi said she enjoyed it, even if she found it a bit childish a couple times."

"Oh, really?" Kyoko didn't really know Hitomi all that well, if at all, but Madoka wouldn't intentionally lie, so she was willing to accept her verdict for the moment.

They fell silent as the lights dimmed and the movie began, first going through the previews and then into the movie itself, and the two settled back to watch. It movie plot itself wasn't all that complex, the story of a bumbling detective and his competent sidekick trying to solve the theft of a precious diamond before it was too late.

Popcorn vanished almost unconsciously as Kyoko and Madoka ate it, and the redhead soon found herself delving into her stash of snacks, which was growing alarmingly thin. She didn't mind that though as she was treated to one of the greatest gifts she could think of; Madoka's laughter, It was like bells almost, if a bit subdued due to their environment, that continually renewed with each punch line.

And Kyoko joined her in that soon enough, admitting that this movie was funny, as it moved up to the climax of the film, them closing in the culprit and another heist planned, while the bumbling detective raced to stop the thief. Their laughter mixed in the air, a strange yet pleasant harmony.

At last the movie came to a close, the hero riding off into the sunset (only to hit his head on the 'The End' sign), and the few viewers were left to disgorge from the theater in a small cloud. Madoka and Kyoko emerged with wide grins on their faces, throwing out trash as they chatted about the movie.

"Yeah, that was funny," Kyoko agreed. "Guess I gotta give yah more credit in the future."

Madoka nodded in agreement as they moved down the sidewalk. "Yep. Thank you."

Kyoko sighed then as they continued to walk. "Geez, you don't have to thank me for that. I wanted to see it too." Well, she would retroactively edit her reasoning. It didn't matter that much after all.

She looked around then and at the sinking sun, as well as the increased mass of people on the streets as schools across the city let out. They still had time left to hang out, and now she had to figure out another activity for them to do, since she wasn't ready to stop just yet.

Madoka had noticed the change in their surroundings as well, and grew more nervous at the same time, with a growing expectation that she would receive a phone call or a text from Mama now that school was out. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that, since she didn't have a good explanation or her absence that wouldn't get Kyoko in trouble.

"So what now," she asked politely, not minding a distraction from that impending event.

Hands resting in her pockets, Kyoko looked across the street before going back to Madoka. "How about some window shopping," she offered. It was an activity she'd engaged in a lot, though there was this odd habit where things she'd looked at ended up in her pockets immediately afterwards. But she wouldn't do that while she had money and was with Madoka.

"Alright," Madoka replied. It did sound like fun, and was something she'd done her fair share of and enjoyed as well.

Minds made up, they headed for the nearest mall to do what they had decided on. It was a nice place, a large middle plaza with stores radiating out from there, different varieties, restaurants, and plenty of things to look at. Music played over loudspeakers as people went about their business, shopping, meeting with friends, and the like.

Into that the two of them went, shifting from one store to another as they explored the place. Kyoko found her niche in a thrift shop of sorts, with had knick knacks, posters, models, decorations, and to her delight, guns, swords, knives, and shuriken. It was just a pity that they were so expensive.

Madoka didn't find one store in particular that stood out above the others, but she did enjoy looking through the bookstore. There were some books in there that she wanted to read, but she left them for a future visit. She wasn't going to have Kyoko buy even more stuff for her if she could help it.

She ended up making one exception though when they were looking through a jewelry store. She was looking through the various accessories when she saw a matching pair of bracelets. They were red, studded with pink gems that she couldn't immediately identify, but seeing it immediately made her think of her and Kyoko.

"Hey, Kyoko," she said, calling the other girl over to look at what she found. "Do you think you could get me these?"

Kyoko walked over and looked down at the bracelets, hands resting on her hips. Fortunately, they weren't expensive, so she nodded in approval. "Sure." She picked up the bracelets and carried them over to the cashier, forking over the money for them before she and Madoka departed the store.

Handing them over to the pinkette, Kyoko watched as Madoka placed one on her wrist before handing the other back to her. "Here," she said happily. "I'll pay you back later, I promise."

For once Kyoko had to fight back a bit of a blush as she fastened the bracelet to her wrist. She hadn't been expecting that so much, but she would hardly refuse this gift, especially since it would have hurt to see the look of rejection on Madoka's face had she said no.

"Aw thanks," Kyoko replied with a grin, hiding her reaction as best she could. "Didn't know yah cared."

"It's nothing," Madoka said with a smile. "I just wanted some sort of memento, since we don't really do that much together. And of course I care," she added with a pout. "You're my friend after all."

"Yeah yeah, calm down Pinkie, I was just messing with yah." Kyoko laughed aloud as she messed with Madoka's hair, eliciting a cry from the girl as she tried to bat the teasing redhead away, with little success.

"Kyoko stop," Madoka was only able to ineffectually resist, drawing looks from passerbyers though neither of them really paid attention to that, and at last her attacker relented, taking a step back and examining the bracelet on her left wrist. Despite all her teasing, it did mean a lot, coming from Madoka.

"Really though, thanks," she added, as if it needed to be said, despite knowing that Madoka would have been fine without needing that approval. "Now then, I got some more stuff in mind that we can do. Let's go."

Madoka nodded and followed after taking a moment to make sure her hair wasn't too messed up. They left the mall and departed for another part of town, passing over the river as they moved further and further along, no indication given as to where they were going. But that was alright, since it had worked out thus far.

Along they way they stopped to get dinner from a food cart, hot dogs with mustard, and some relish for Kyoko, that they could eat while walking. The sun was setting in the sky, the horizon painting itself in oranges and reds, and Madoka could tell she'd gotten some more messages on her phone. But while her urge to be responsible told her to answer, her hands were full at the moment, and she had the feeling that it wasn't terribly important anyway. She still didn't have a good explanation for Mama about what she was doing, so she'd wait on that until she did.

Kyoko didn't have to worry about those kinds of problems, and enjoyed her food as they strolled along. Mami was used to her showing up at any and all hours of the night, so this would hardly be exceptional, and she hadn't really considered the reaction that Madoka's family would have to it. She'd deal with it when it mattered.

Hot dogs finished, it was a bit longer until they arrived at their destination, cresting a large hill to arrive at a park, from which one could see most of Mitakihara. It provided a lovely view, with the sky in it's fiery state, and the grass was covered in flowers. Looking back, Kyoko could see Madoka's eyes sparkling in joy as she beheld the scene, and felt inner gladness to know that the girl appreciated it. But of course she would, that was just who Madoka was.

"Wow, this is amazing," Madoka said aloud as she stepped forward, moving onto the grass as she took in the breathtaking view of the city. She'd known this place existed in some dim corner of her mind, but it'd been so long since she'd been here that the memory was dark and repressed, making seeing it again all the more impactful.

"Yeah," Kyoko agreed with a nod as she strode forward, taking up a position on the edge of the cliff. Looking out on the city, she couldn't help it if her mind turned more philosophical and focused on actually serious stuff. "Hey Madoka, you ever think about what you're gonna do in the future?"

"Eh?" Madoka joined her in looking out on the city below, like isolated figures overseeing their domain from on high. "Well, I was thinking about being a veterinarian, or something where I could help people," she replied thoughtfully before looking over to her friend. "What about you?"

Kyoko shrugged as she leaned forward against the guardrail. "Dunno," she admitted. "Never thought that far ahead. I mean, I doubt I'll ever do something like business, but there's gotta be a job that'll even take someone like me. Just gotta find it."

It was one of her more glaring flaws, as it were. She lived footloose and fancy free, but she never planned for the future, she just lived for the moment. Years ahead? That might as well not exist for her consideration. Madoka might be unsure, but she was leagues ahead of Kyoko, and it was something the redhead liked about her, and envied at the same time.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Madoka replied with undaunted optimism. She didn't doubt that particular fact about Kyoko at all. She was tough, determined, and how could someone so strong possibly fail?

Kyoko wasn't so sure herself, but she wouldn't say as much at this point. She preferred to focus on happier stuff, and she did that now as she pushed away from the guardrail abruptly before spinning on her heels, hands returning to her hips. "Hey, wanna get some ice cream?"

Taken aback by the sudden motion and swing in topic, Madoka was quick to agree as the temperature was taken into account. "Sure, that sounds good."

That settled on, the two of them made a quick trip over to a strategically positioned ice cream truck catering to young couples and families. Kyoko continuing to pay, Madoka got a mint chocolate chip cone, while the redhead got an orange creamsicle.

Already enjoying their frozen treats, the two went and sat down next to each other on one of the wooden benches that faced the city beyond. Silence fell between them as they focused on eating their ice cream before it melted, enjoying each other's company as they relaxed. It was like some shared subtle hope that not moving would slow the descent of the sun towards the horizon.

Kyoko sighed as she relaxed, an arm resting outstretched on the back of the bench. "Guess I gotta be getting you home soon. Don't wanna have people starting a manhunt for yah."

Madoka nodded as she worked on her ice cream, carefully licking away to make sure none spilled, before she looked over at her friend. "Yeah. But don't worry. I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you," she replied cheerfully, with both of them finishing up their ice cream soon afterwards.

Glancing over at the pinkette as she twirled the wooden popsicle stick idly in her hand, Kyoko got a devious idea and smirked as a result of that. "You missed a bit," she pointed out, gesturing with the popsicle stick to a bit of leftover ice cream on Madoka's cheek, just out of reach of her tongue.

"Oh?" Frowning a bit, Madoka began rooting through her pockets to try and find a napkin. Kyoko had one, but she wasn't about to offer it.

Before she could produce one though, Kyoko took the initiative, shifting closer to Madoka. Taking the distracted girl by surprised, she leaned over to bring their heads close together, and her tongue flashed out, licking the ice cream off of Madoka's cheek.

Their eyes met, red and pink staring at each other as they froze. Warmth flared as Kyoko felt the urge to move in once more and bring their lips together instead. She was an impulsive creature, and her impulse was now to see what Madoka tasted like, whether it was candy, spices, fruit, or something else, and to drink that sensation until she was sated.

With not a little bit of effort, she tore away then, returning to her seat as her cheeks tinted red. Meanwhile, Madoka's whole face colored as red as Kyoko's hair while she stared at her and stuttered. "K-K-K-K-Kyoko..."

Now Kyoko would say that that was a color that suited her well, but at the same time she couldn't bear her wearing it, and she burst out laughing irreverently, almost doubling over in her attempt to make it seem real. "Oh geez, you should have seen the look on your face! Man, I wish I had a camera."

Her stunned expression morphed to a pout as Madoka watched her friend laugh uproariously. "Kyoko, that's mean," she chided, hoping her own expressed disapproval hid the tingling sensation she felt inside.

Eventually her fit of laughter subsided and Kyoko recovered, rising to her feet as she threw the popsicle stick into a nearby trash can. "Yeah, my bad. Come on, let's get you home then before Sayaka comes to try and kick my head off," she said with a bit of mirth still evident in her tone, if the grin on her face was no indication.

Having recovered as well, Madoka rose from her seat, and together they departed for the Kaname house. The sun dipped below the skyline and darkness fell as street lamps flickered to life, the moon now glittering in the sky as they headed into the residential area of the city. They were both silent as they moved along, trying to put that previous incident behind them.

For her part, Kyoko found herself unexpectedly worried as she led the way. Had she gone a bit too far there? She'd seen how Madoka and Sayaka interacted of course, and assumed it was okay, but the butterflies in her stomach seemed to indicate that she was wrong. She didn't want to ruin things between the two of them after all.

But if she had done so, Madoka gave no indication, merely walking along with her hands clasped in front of her and head slightly bowed, a bit fidgety but not angry by appearance. Then again, this was Madoka, and repressing negative emotions was kind of her thing.

At last they arrived in front of Madoka's house. The lights were on, radiating warmth, life, and Kyoko felt a momentary pang of jealousy for the kind of family life that she had never really had. She suppressed it though as they walked up to the front porch.

"Well then, thanks for hanging out with me," Kyoko said as she shifted to face Madoka, hands still in her pockets. At the same time, she ignored the fact that she hadn't given the pinkette much choice in the matter. "It was a lot of fun."

Madoka started momentarily, then shot a beaming smile back. "It was nothing," she replied happily. "We should do it again sometime."

Slightly surprised by the request, Kyoko grinned as she shrugged. "I wouldn't mind that, I suppose." It was as close a confirmation as anything, given what had previously happened. At least it wasn't being held against her, though there was no guarantee that things hadn't changed.

Madoka took the few steps needed to reach and open the front door, holding it wide for Kyoko as she entered herself. "I'm home," she called from the entryway.

"Welcome back," came the call in unison, before Junko stepped into view. "So why weren't you at school today Madoka," she asked, not judgmentally but just curious at this point.

"Oh, Mama, I didn't realize you were home yet," the pinkette responded as she took her shoes off before straightening up to give the response she had prepared ahead of time. "Kyoko needed my help, and I couldn't say no. I'm sorry for not telling you."

Kyoko waved from where she stood, a Pocky stick having found it's way to her mouth in that time frame. "Yo."

"Ah, hello Kyoko," Junko said as she shifted to look at the redhead, giving her a once over. Kyoko stood there nonchalantly, getting the feeling that she was being judged by Madoka's mother. She held strong though, desiring to give a good impression in spite of how irrational that might be.

Junko ceded at last and turned back to Madoka. "Alright. Well, we'll talk about this later," she told her in a somewhat foreboding manner before looking to Kyoko once more. "You did have my daughter do anything illegal, did you?"

"Of course not Mama," Madoka protested in defense of her friend.

Ignoring her, Kyoko gave a curt shake of her head. "Nah, I wouldn't do that to Pinkie. People'd try and kill me if I did, beyond even yourself, y'know?" She considered the mother and daughter before reaching a safe conclusion. "Anyway, I better get going and out of your hair. See yah tomorrow Madoka."

"You're not imposing, but alright. Bye," Madoka replied with a wave as Kyoko reopened the door and stepped back out into the night. It was time to head back to Mami's before the other girl got worried. Actually, it might have been a bit too late for that, but she'd deal with it as needed.

Before the door fully closed though, she did catch something that made her grin all the wider. It was unexpected, and she doubted that they had wanted her to hear it, but she did regardless.

"So, how was your date then? I saw the bracelets. Now spill..."

"Mama!"

The door slammed shut and cut off the rest of the response, leave Kyoko to wonder. She stood there for a few moments with head tilted towards the moon as she considered the idea. Dating Madoka Kaname? She brought the bracelet on her left wrist into view, examining it before she stuffed her hands back into her pockets and walked away.

Yeah, she could agree to that.


End file.
